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. 2012 Dec 20;108(1):25–31. doi: 10.1038/bjc.2012.551

Table 2. Frequency of selected features in cases and controls in the whole study population.

Clinical feature Cases, n (%), n=7471 Controls, n (%), n=32877 Likelihood ratio (95% CI) PPV as a percentagea (95% CI)
Symptoms
Dysphagia 2420 (32.4) 185 (0.6) 57.6 (49.7–66.7) 1.5 (1.3–1.8)
Dyspepsia 1294 (17.3) 764 (2.3) 7.5 (6.8–8.1) 0.2 (0.19–0.22)
Nausea or vomiting 979 (13.1) 637 (1.9) 6.8 (6.1–7.4) 0.18 (0.17–0.2)
Abdominal pain 905 (12.1) 1310 (4.0) 3.0 (2.8–3.3) 0.08 (0.08–0.09)
Reflux 842 (11.3) 513 (1.6) 7.2 (6.5–8.0) 0.19 (0.18–0.22)
Chest pain 727 (9.7) 1589 (4.8) 2.0 (1.9–2.2) 0.05 (0.05–0.06)
Epigastric pain 617 (8.3) 266 (0.8) 10.2 (8.9–11.8) 0.28 (0.24–0.32)
Loss of weight 615 (8.2) 276 (0.8) 9.8 (8.5–11.3) 0.26 (0.23–0.31)
Constipation 608 (8.1) 1073 (3.3) 2.5 (2.3–2.8) 0.07 (0.06–0.07)
Investigations
Low haemoglobin 2045 (27.4) 3353 (10.2) 2.7 (2.6–2.8) 0.07 (0.07–0.08)
Abnormal hepatic enzymes 1272 (17.0) 3479 (10.6) 1.6 (1.5–1.7) 0.04 (0.04–0.05)
Raised inflammatory markers 1010 (13.5) 1421 (4.3) 3.1 (2.9–3.4) 0.08 (0.08–0.09)
Raised cholesterol 920 (12.3) 5180 (15.8) 0.8 (0.7–0.8) 0.02 (0.02–0.02)

Abbreviations: CI=confidence interval; PPV=positive predictive value. aPPV in the consulting population.